Virtual Cookie Swap 2016
Entry #: 2
From: Regine
Location: Walldorf
Cookies of the World Geographic Tag: Germany
Note: Here’s the recipe I promised. It’s one of our favorites, very simple to make so the kids usually make the cookies by themselves. They are very popular in all of Germany, but originally come from Southern Germany and Austria. I hope I found correct equivalents for everything – wasn’t sure about the peeled almonds (do you say peeled? Hulled? Skinned? That last one seems a bit brutal…) and what to call the inside of the vanilla bean, but I’m sure that won’t be a problem for you J. These are incredibly tender and flaky, and will melt in your mouth... Writing this down makes me want to eat some!
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(Readers I’m hoping the website for Celsius conversions I found is accurate. I have converted the cooking temperatures for you already for US cooks. Regine did mention if you cook with a convection oven you will want to lower the cooking temperature just a bit from 350 degrees F, down to 300 degrees F. If you’re cooking with a Celsius oven please cook at 175 degrees for a regular oven & 150 if you’re using convection.)
Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Crescents)
(makes around 80)
200 g flour
80 g sugar
175 g butter
2 egg yolks
100 g peeled, ground almonds
The seeds of half a vanilla bean
Vanilla sugar to roll the crescents in (in Germany you can buy little packs of ready-mixed vanilla sugar, but you could just use regular sugar and mix it with vanilla extract or the rest of your vanilla bean)
· Knead the flour, sugar, butter, egg yolk, almonds and vanilla seeds into a smooth dough
· Form two long rolls out of this dough
· Store in a cool place (or the refrigerator) for at least one hour
· Cut each roll into 40 pieces
· Form each piece into a roll of about 6cm with pointy ends
· Put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then bend the rolls slightly to form a crescent
· Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 10-15 minutes
· Take crescents off the cookie sheet while they are still hot and carefully roll them in the vanilla sugar
· Let cool
Variation if you’re not into pure vanilla: Dip one half of the baked, cooled cookie into your favorite melted dark chocolate
